Recoil starter for small motors



June 16, 1942. w, KRENZKE 2,286,419

I RECOIL STARTER FOR SMALL MOTORS Filed April 4, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet? F G- a MAL/AM F (BENZ/ 5 Jrrozmey Patented June 16, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. Recon. s'rna'rl a i gltznan' Morons Y i William F. Krenzke, Racine, Wis., assignor to Jacobsen Manufacturing Company, Racine, Wis., a company of Wisconsin Application April 4-, v1940, Serial No. 327,119

' lClaims. (01. 185-41) The present invention relates to manually pulled means for starting small motors and has for its objects, providing a device of the class which is simple, light, easily assembled and mounted, certain in its operations and durable.

An object of the present invention is to provide a device which may be operated by means of a manually pulled cable and means whereby the starter willalways'return to the same position and remain out ,of contact with the engine when the engine is operating and remains in position for immediate operative engagement with the engine when the engine and starter are at rest.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a simple and eflicient cable connection in the bottom of the narrow cable groove.

A further object of my invention is to provide a torsional coil spring made from fiat material and being secured at its outer ends to the cable drum by means of a hinged joint.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a device of the class which is easily assembled and *di'sassembled and easily installed.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a clutch in which a number'of balls are positioned in suitable grooves so any one of the balls may act to lock the starter to the crank shaft, the pockets having at their peripheral ends, depressions deep enough-to retain the balls or at least prevent them from rolling out of the pockets when the member is in a vertical or nearly vertical position so the device may be easily assembled.

To these and other useful ends, my invention consists of parts, combinations of parts, or their.

equivalents, and mode of operation, as hereinafter described and claimed and shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a transverse vertically sectioned view of my improved recoil starter taken on line of Figure 2.

Figure 2 is a front view of trated in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an end view of the cable showing some of the .parts by dotted lines.

Figure 4 is a side view of the sheave viewed the starter illusfrom Figure 2 as indicated by arrow.

- pressions 5.

Figure 5 is a front view of the clutch members i also illustrating the balls in normal position when the starter and engine are at rest.

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 5 showing the position of the balls when the engine is in operation and the starter at rest.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary drawing of the cable the groove.

the end members thereon being shown in section.

Figure 8 is a longitudinal sectional fractional view similar to' Figure 1 illustrating a modification.

As thus illustrated in Figures 1 to '7 inclusive, the fractional end of the engine shaft is designated by reference numeral 9 having screw threaded thereon as at ID the clutch member- H. Member II has on its exterior surface preferably a longitudinally extended hexagon surface l2 on the inner edges of which are formed cutaway grooves l3 which are positioned at a considerable angle as clearly indicated in Figure 5, the grooves |3 forming lips l4. Grooves 3 at their outer ends are provided with shallow de- Each groove I3 is provided with a ball l6 which is free to move longitudinally in The object of'depressions I5 is to assist in assembling the device as will hereinafter appear. It will be noted that members I2 and. I4 form an annular overhanging member which with its hub may be classed as one member of a ratchet.

I provide a bracket H which may be mounted on an engine supporting plate Ill. I rotatably mount a shaft l9 in member so this shaft is in axial alignment with engine shaft 9.

I securely mount on the inner end of shaft l9 a collar 20 and I mount a ball retaining washer 22 on the shaft as illustrated, Member 20 fits loosely between the ends .of lips l4 and has a length about equal to the depth of the annular overhanging member. A pocket 2| "is provided .in member 20, the shape of the sidesof the pocket being about as illustrated in Figure 5. The shape and depth being such as will cause whichever ball is in the pocket (see Figure 5) to act as a rachet to turn the engine shaft in the direction indicated by arrow in Figure 5 when member I9 is turned in the starting direction. The other side of pocket 2| is angled so it will push the ball into the pocket if the starter is turned backward or when the engine starts. Thus these clutch members act as a rachet.

Thus it will be seen by scrutinizing Figure 5 after the starter handle is pulled far enoughto move member 2| to near the position shown in Figure 5. Thus it will be seen that the engine may stop in almost any position and still one of the balls will either lie in pocket 2 or be in position to fall immediately into this pocket when the starting cable is pulled.

Bracket I1 is provided. with an annular pro- J'ection 25 around which the spring 26 is coiled, the inner end of the spring being secured to this projection as illustrated in Figure 1. The outer end of the spring is arranged to rotatably embrace a pin 21 which is secured to sheave 28. This sheave is keyed to shaft l9 and securely held thereon by nut 29.

Thus it will be seen that member 28 may turn in the direction indicated by arrow in Figure 2 and that it will be pulled back to its startin position by spring 26 and without undue strain on the fastenings of the spring.

A cable groove 30 is provided in sheave 28 having a width slightly wider than the diameter of the cable 3|. The inner end of this cable is provided with a collar 32, the coller having rounded corners and being slipped over the end of the cable and then compressed providing a suitable anchor to the cable.

Grooves 33 are cut into the opposite sides of grooves 30 and a tangent to the bottom of this groove as illustrated in Figure 3 so member 32 may be pulled into the bottom of the groove after which a screw 38 is inserted and made fast in a threaded opening so member 32 cannot leave the groove but will be permitted to turn hinge like.

Thus it will be seen that the inside end of the cable will be firmly anchored in the bottom of groove 33 but that this anchor provides means whereby the cable may wind into the groove by the action of the spring and that when unwound it will be free to swing hinge like in groove 33.

A sleeve 34 having one end screw threaded as at 35 is positioned over the other end of the cable and the inner end compressed so as to form a permanent fastening to the cable and a contact surface for a suitable tool with which the sleeve may be screwed into handle member 36. Cable 3| is of a length whereby the spring will cause the cable to be wound in its groove and the handle 36 pulled into an opening 31 provided in the upper end of bracket H as clearly illustrated in Figures 1 and 2.

The lower end of handle 36 is reduced in size so a shoulder 39 is formed and will rest in the counterbored part of opening 31 as illustrated. Cable 3| is of a length which will hold member 2| in the position shown in Figure 5.

When the engine starts, the balls will imme-- diately be thrown into the outer ends of grooves l3, (see Figure 6). Thus there will be no mechanical connection between the engine and the starter when the engine is operating. The opening between projections I4 is slightly larger than the diameter of member 20 so that when the starter is at rest there need be no contact between these parts. Projection M will however, act to maintain practical axial alignment between shafts 9 and i8 when the operator is pull-.

ing on the handle 36.

Member 28 is provided with an annular flange 40 having oppositely positioned grooves 4|-4|; thus if the cable or spring should be out of working order, or for any reason if it is desired, a rope may be wound around this flange, the inner end having a knot and being moved into the bottom of one of the openings 4| so the rope may be pulled for starting the engine instead of the cab1e.- In place of the rope, a crank may be inserted loosely over the hub of member 28 having pins which engage slots 4|. Thus additional means are provided for manually operating the starter. Member 40 also acts as a shield to prevent contact with nut 29.

Thus it will be seen that I have provided a very simple, emcient and easily installed recoil starter for small internal combustion engines, that a simple and efiicient rachet means is provided between the starter and engine and that the starter will be light and strong and not apt to get out of order.

It has already been noted that no definite connection is made between .member II and member 20 except through balls l8. In order to assemble the starter and attach it to the engine, member H is placed on a bench or otherwise held in a vertical position and the balls placed in depressions |5. The clutch parts are then held together and the starter positioned so member II is pressed against the threaded end of shaft 9. Then by giving handle 36 a pull, member II will engage the threads and turn into the position shown in Figure 1.

If it is necessary to remove member I I from the engine shaft, bracket I1 is first loosened from its support and a wrench placed over the hexagon part of member H with which to loosen this member from the shaft and then it may be turned by hand without being moved out of position with member 20. If it is desired, the bracket may be removed first and the balls permitted to fall out of the clutch. Either method may be used for detaching the starter.

In Figure 8, I illustrate a modification which is generally is like the device illustrated in the other figures except a member 50 is keyed to to member 52 and the outer end secured to member 54 as in the other figures. All of the other parts of the starter are similar to the parts illustrated in the other figures except that bracket 56 is loosely mounted on sleeve 52. The looseness of this mounting is equivalent to the looseness between projections l4 and member 20 in the other figures and being such as will insure against frictional contact between the bracket and sleeve 52 except possibly when the operator is pulling on the handle for starting the engine. The operation of this modified form of starter will obviously be the same as the operation of the other design shown.

The operation of my device is as follows: Normally a ball will lay in notch 2| (see Figure 5) and when handle 36 is pulled, this member will be turned clockwise, the ball acting to transmit the motion to member l2 and start the engine. Regardless of the pull against bracket l1, member 20 will be held in practical axial alignment with the engine shaft by the projections between slots l3.

When the cable is pulled and the engine starts, the ball in slot 2| will be released and either be pushed into its slot by notch 2| or moved out into the slot by centrifugal force. Cable 3| is nearly always pulled until it is entirely unwound.

Sleeve 32 will turn in passageway 33 so as to prevent bending the cable near the sleeve but see ers 3 even if the sleeve t ns slightly iurther by inof said balls is always adapted to fall into said ertia, it will he named to against the side notch by gravity to thereby provides. rachet conoi passageway n and perhaps against stop SI. nection between said annular member and col- Mter the operator disconthiues pulling hard lar and whereby the ball will move out of said on the handle, the spring will rewind the cable 5 notch by centrifugal force when the engine is in the slot handle it rests against the openoperating, means adjacent said annular member ing in the bracket, so that notch It will again adapted to prevent said balls from escaping from stand about as shown in Figure 5 but all of the their grooves, a manually operated means arballs continue to remain in the outer ends ranged for turning said rotatably mounted memof their slots so there need notbe metal contact 1 her to thereby cause said rachet connection to between any of the starter parts and member turn said engine shaft, retrieving means adapted it and its balls. Generally member 2! is made to return said rotatably mounted member to its slightly shorter than the depth of the slots and normal position. slightly smaller in diameter than the inside di- 3. A starter of the class described, comprising ameter or member I: for the purpose. an engine having a crank shaft with a protrud- In addition to modification illustrated in ing end. a supporting bracket having a shaft ro- Figure 8, it will be apparent that many minor tatably mounted therein being held in axial detail changes may be made without departing alignment with said crank shaft, a rachet conirom the spirit and scope of my invention as renection between said shafts, a sheave secured to cited in the a pended claims. said last shaft, a coil spring, the inner end of Having thus shown and described my invenwhich is secured to said bracket and the other tion, I claim: end being secured to said sheave, a cable pivotal- 1. A recoil starter of the class described, com- 1y connected at one end to the bottom of the prising an engine having a crank shaft with a groove in said sheave, th other protruding end, a supporting bracket having a through an opening in said bracket, a handle shaft rotatably me ted therein and being held secured to the other end of said cable and adaptin axial alignment with said crank shaft, a hub ed to act as a limit stop against the action of secured to said protruding end and having an said spring when said sheave is in its normal annular member, a number of spaced elongated position. said groove being slightly wider than grooves positioned at an angle in the inner surthe diameter of the cable, a pivotal connection face of said annular member. balls in each said comprising a collar secured to the inner end of grooves, a collar secured to said last shaft and the cable, channels in opposite sides of said groove being held in axial alignment in said annular forming a free passageway for said collar to the member and having a groove arranged to receive bottom of the groove, said passageway being on a portion of one of said balls by gravity and a tangent with the bottom of said groove, the means to thereby act as a ratchet, a sheave sebottom of which is adapted to receive the normal cured to the outer end of said second shaft, a pull of said collar, a stop in said passageway retrieving spring positioned between said sheave forming a retainer for said collar.

and bracket and having a connection at one end 4. A recoil starter of the class described, comto said bracket and a connection at the other prising an engine having a crank shaft with a end to said sheave, a cable pivotaliy anchored protruding end. a rotatably mounted member in at one end to said sheave, the other end extcndaxial alignment with said crank shaft, a ratchet ing through an opening in said bracket, a handle connection between said crank shaft and rotatsecured to the other end of said cable and adaptably mounted member, a sheave rigidly mounted ed to act as a limit stop against the retrieving on said rotatably mounted member having a naraction of said sprin row groove and a cable adapted to be wound in 2. A starter-of the class described, comprising a single row therein-the inner end of said cable in combination an engine having a crank shaft having a collar, an enlarged opening formed by with one end protruding, a clutch member segrooves in opposite sides of said first groove and cured to said protruding end having an overso extending to the bottom thereof wherein said hanging annular member, a number of elongatcollar is positioned, a stop in said enlarged opened spaced angularly positioned grooves in the ining near said collar, the inner end of said enner surface of said annular member, a free ball larged opening adapted to receive the normal ineachsaid grooves,arotatably mounted member pull of said cable, a'h n grip secured to the positioned in axial alignment with said crank other end of said cable, a tationary bracket havshait and having secured to its inner end a coling an opening through which said cable exlar having a length and diameter slightly less tends, a spring having one end secured to said than the length and inside diameter of said bracket and the other end secured to said sheave, annular member and being positioned therein, a said spring adapted to rewind said cable to the notch in the of said collar, aidgrooves co limit permitted by said hand grip. and notch adapted to cooperate whereby one WILLIAM F, KRmqZKE, 

